Process for the preparation of pyrimidine compounds

ABSTRACT

A process for preparing agrochemical intermediates of formula (I), wherein W is (CH 3  O) 2  CH.CHCO 2  CH 3  or CH 3  O.CH═CCO 2  CH 3  ; Z 1  is a halogen atom; and R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are independently hydrogen, halogen, C 1-4  alky, C alkoxy, acetoxy or acyl; the process comprising the steps of: (a) reacting a compound of formula (II), wherein X, R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are as defined above, with a compound of formula ROCH 3 , wherein R is a metal; and, (b) reacting the product of (a) with a compound of formula (III), wherein Z 1  and Z 2  are halogen atoms. A process for the preparation of compounds of formula (II) and compounds of formula (II) themselves. A process for obtaining, in substantially pure form, a compound of formula (11) and compounds of formula (II) themselves. A process for obtaining, in substantially pure form, a compound of formula (11) wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are all hydrogen.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing (E)-methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3-methoxypropenoate, an intermediate in the agrochemical industry.

Methods for preparing (E)-methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3-methoxypropenoate are described in WO 92/0870.

The present invention provides a process for preparing a compound of formula (I), comprising treating a compound of formula (II) with an acid catalyst in the presence of an acid anhydride, an acid chloride or 2-acetoxybenzonitrile at a temperature in the range 70-110° C.

Acid catalysts include acids (such as sulphonic acid or a derivative thereof (for example chlorosulphonic acid, methane sulphonic acid or p-toluene sulphonic acid), hydrochloric acid or an acetic acid derivative (for example trifluoroacetic acid or di- or trichloroacetic acid)), a suitable phenol derivative (such as 2-cyanophenol) or potassium bisulfate.

Acid anhydrides are preferably C₂₋₅ alkyl anhydrides, for example acetic anhydride.

Acid chlorides are preferably C₂₋₅ alkyl chlorides, for example acetyl chloride or propionyl chloride.

The process of the invention can be carried out in the presence of a solvent. Such a solvent is preferably inert under the process conditions. Suitable solvents include saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbons (such as toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, cyclohexane or methylcyclohexane), an ether (such as glyme or diglyme) or a ketone (such as methylisobutylketone). It is preferred that the solvent has a boiling point in the range 70-140° C., especially in the range 85-120° C.

In one aspect the present invention provides a process for preparing a compound of formula (I), comprising treating a compound of formula (II) with an acid catalyst in the presence of an acid anhydride.

In another aspect the present invention provides a process for preparing a compound of formula (I), comprising treating a compound of formula (II) with methane sulphonic acid, chlorosulphonic acid or 2-cyanophenol in the presence of an acid anhydride, an acid chloride or 2-acetoxybenzonitrile, the process being conducted in the presence of a solvent.

In a further aspect the present invention provides a process for preparing a compound of formula (I), comprising treating a compound of formula (II) with methane sulphonic acid or chlorosulphonic acid in the presence of an acid anhydride, the process being conducted in the presence of a solvent.

The process of the present invention can be carried out by treating a compound of formula (II) with an acid catalyst (preferably methane sulphonic acid) in the presence of an acid anhydride (especially acetic anhydride), an acid chloride (especially acetyl chloride) or 2-acetoxybenzontrile at a temperature in the range 70-110° C. (especially 85-100° C.) at ambient pressure.

Alternatively, the process of the present invention can be carried out by treating a compound of formula (II) with an acid catalyst (preferably methane sulphonic acid) in solvent (especially toluene or methylcyclohexane) in presence of a suitable acid anhydride (especially acetic anhydride) at a temperature in range 70-110° C. (especially 85-100° C.) at ambient pressure.

In a further aspect the present invention provides a process for preparing a compound of formula (I) comprising treating a compound of formula (II) (1 equivalent) with methane sulphonic acid (about 0.05 equivalents) in the presence of acetic anhydride (about 1 equivalent, preferably 1 to 1.1 equivalents) at a temperature in the range 85-105° C. (especially 90-95° C.), the process being carried out in the absence of a solvent.

It is preferred that, when the process is carried out in the absence of a solvent, the compound of formula (I) is isolated by: (i) distilling off by-products (preferably at a temperature in the range 50-150° C. and under atmospheric pressure), (ii) partitioning the resulting residue between an organic solvent (such as toluene or a xylene) and water, and (iii) evaporating the organic phase to leave a compound of formula (I).

The following Examples illustrate the invention. Throughout the Examples the following abbreviations are used:

gc=gas chromatography NMR=nuclear magnetic resonance

EXAMPLE 1

Methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3,3-dimethoxypropanoate (44.8 g) was heated to 95° C. 2-Cyanophenol (14.3g) was added and acetic anhydride (11.7 g) was added via a syringe pump running at 6.35 ml h⁻¹. The reaction was monitored by gc and ¹ H NMR, which showed that demethanolysis was complete in 4 hours.

EXAMPLE 2

Methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3,3-dimethoxypropanoate (44.6 g) was heated to 90-95° C. 2-Acetoxybenzonitrile (19.3 g) was added and then methane sulphonic acid (0.61 g) was added via a syringe. The reaction was monitored by gc and ¹ H NMR, which showed that demethanolysis was complete in 5 hours.

EXAMPLE 3

A mixture of methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3,3-dimethoxypropanoate (17.98 g), acetic anhydride (5.16 g) and toluene (73 ml) was stirred at 90° C. for 20 minutes. Methane sulphonic acid (0.49 g) was added to the mixture and the mixture was heated at 90° C. for 1 hour. The mixture was cooled to room temperature, washed with cold water (25 ml) and with hot (50° C.) water (2×25 ml). The organic layer was evaporated at 75° C. (initially on a rotary evaporator, then at circa 15 mm Hg) to leave (E)-methyl 2-[-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3-methoxypropenoate as a solid (16.1 g).

EXAMPLE 4

Preparation of Starting Material

To a stirred mixture of 3-(α-methoxy)methylenebenzofuran-2(3H)-one (193.4 g of 91% pure material) and 4,6-dichloropyrimidine (165.5 g) in methyl formate (400 g) at 20-25° C. under nitrogen was added sodium methoxide (207 g of a 30% w/w solution in methanol) portionwise, over 10 hours while maintaining the temperature at 20-25° C. Once all the sodium methoxide solution had been added the reaction mixture was stirred for 2 hours after which water (9 g) was added. The methanol and methyl formate were distilled from the reaction mixture (internal temperature 90-95° C.) to leave a residue.

Water (700 g) was added to the residue and the mixture stirred at 80° C. for 30 minutes.

Methylcyclohexane (400 g) was added at 65° C., the temperature adjusted to 70° C. and the mixture stirred for a further 30 minutes before being allowed to settle for 30 minutes. The aqueous layer was separated and the organic phase washed at 70° C. with aqueous potassium hydroxide (400 g of a 3% solution) and aqueous hydrochloric acid (80 g of a 1% solution). Each wash was stirred for 30 minutes and allowed to settle for 30 minutes prior to separation. The methylcyclohexane solution was cooled to 25° C., stirred for 30 minutes and allowed to settle for 1 hour. A two phase system was obtained, a lower layer comprising:

(E)-methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3-methoxypropenoate 7.28%

methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3,3-dimethoxypropanoate 63.5%

methylcyclohexane 15-20%

and an upper layer comprising:

(E)-methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3-methoxypropenoate 1.4%

methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3,3-dimethoxypropanoate 11.4%

methylcyclohexane 80-85%

The upper layer was retained for use in future reactions.

Solvent was removed from the lower layer by distillation at 50 mm Hg at a gradually increasing temperature until 90° C. was achieved. The mixture was held at 90° C. for 30 minutes. After this time the pressure was reduced to 5-10 mm Hg and the temperature increased to 120° C. during which time chloromethoxypyrimidine distilled. [The condenser coolant was at 35-40° C.] The mixture is held at 120° C. until analysis showed that the level of chloromethoxypyrimidine was acceptable.

A sample comprising methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3,3-dimethoxypropanoate (230.7 g) and (E)-methyl 2-[2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)phenyl]-3-methoxypropenoate (21 g) prepared by a method analogous to the above was heated to 90-95° C. Acetic anhydride (74.2 g) and methane sulphonic acid (1.75 g) were added sequentially with stirring. The resulting mixture was heated at 90-95° C. for 2 hours to leave (E)-methyl [2-(6-chloropyrimidin-4-yloxy)-phenyl]-3-methoxypropenoate (216.9 g).

Chemical Structures (in description) ##STR1## 

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for preparing a compound of formula (I): comprising treating a compound if formula (II) ##STR2## with an acid catalyst in the presence of an acid anhydride, an acid chloride or 2-acetoxybenzonitrile at a temperature in the range of 70-110° C.; provided that when the acid catalyst is p-toluene sulphonic acid or potassium bisulphate then the process is conducted in the presence of an acid anhydride.
 2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acid catalyst is methane sulphonic acid, chlorosulphonic acid or 2-cyanophenol.
 3. A process as claimed in claim 2 which is conducted in the presence of a solvent.
 4. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein a compound of formula (II) is treated with methane sulphonic acid or chlorosulphonic acid in the presence of an acid anhydride, the process being conducted in the presence of a solvent.
 5. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein a compound of formula (II) is treated with methane sulphonic acid in the presence of acetic anhydride at a temperature in the range 85-105° C., the process being conducted in the absence of a solvent.
 6. A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the ratio of compound of formula (II):methane sulphonic acid: acetic anhydride is about 1:0.05:1 equivalents. 